Chapter 52

The Emperor had permitted two matters.

Firstly, it was acceptable to establish a sham peace agreement with the elves. Secondly, for the span of a month, we would be given free rein, to be tacitly approved.

‘There is, however, a condition attached to this: the need for tangible results within that period.’

I was confident in my ability to deliver results. Though the nature of these achievements might be so grotesque that they’d be hard to look at while sober.

Still, isn’t having drug addicts rolling around better than having bodies littered everywhere in that sweltering Great Forest?

Drugs are better than all-out war, aren’t they?

“Sir Alan. As you must know, this is a very important matter.”

Suddenly, Victoria began to exude gravity.

She was the one who had even secured an imperial decree so I could sell narcotics freely. If she had anything to entrust, I was willing to listen to her.

“Yes, Your Highness. I am aware.”

“This decision means we must abandon three lumberyards, one natural limestone cave, and two mines on the outskirts of the Great Forest. We can’t protect the workers without deploying troops, can we? Of course, this is just a temporary abandonment.”

“…”

“Let’s assume we fail to produce results within the set period. It won’t be possible to simply redeploy our forces. Someone will have to bear the cost of pursuing and then withdrawing the peace agreement.”

She was driving home the gravity of this matter.

Even though she had seen the living example of a drug-addicted Leon, it’s hard to believe that a drug alone can bring the elves to their knees.

If I explained the efficacy of heroin, Victoria might change her perception, but I couldn’t demonstrate a sample on the spot.

‘If I say I’ll take responsibility for the failure, will that work?’

No, it’s not about dodging. If things go wrong, returning to the easy life of a simple drug dealer won’t be so effortless.

This is a matter of massive interests; it’s tied to the immense scale of the opium trade, and I’m the one who volunteered to solve this conundrum using narcotics.

But before I could even talk about responsibility, Victoria preempted me.

“I understand. Given your character, you would naturally want to take responsibility. Of course.”

Character…?

I flinched slightly and turned back to see Victoria nodding with an understanding smile.

Just from that smile, I could tell what misconception she was operating under. Her misunderstanding, which started with morphine and reached its peak with ephedrine, remained. She now believed me to be one of the most loyal servants of the Britannia Empire — not just a reformed villain.

‘There’s no point in even trying to explain.’

I just gave an awkward smile in response, pretending to hide my burden.

“Sir, I know your heart. But, Sir Alan, the one-month deadline was agreed upon by my father and I. In the unlikely event that things go wrong, I will be the one to bear the responsibility. So, feel free to proceed without worrying.”

“Princess Victoria.”

“Of course, ideally, we should bring that arrogant race to their knees and celebrate together. I trust that you will definitely accomplish this. I merely ask that you not fear failure. That’s all I wish to say.”

After saying this, Victoria placed her hand on my shoulder.

Her clear, topaz-like eyes stared straight into mine.

The encouragement, though sincere, was heavy for a drug dealer to receive. At this moment, feigning humility would only damage my hard-earned image.

So, in an expression as solemn as hers, I simply nodded.

“Thank you, Princess Victoria. I will not fail your expectations.”

“I believe you.”

With that brief farewell, Victoria disappeared.

Her words weren’t just lip service.

The next day, a commission certificate arrived from the Diplomatic Office that oversees the empire’s foreign relations.

A title was bestowed upon me to allow me unimpeded passage into the Great Forest.

“Alan Medoff of Medoff Pharmaceuticals. You are commissioned as the consul of the Friendship Delegation established to resolve the conflicts within the Great Forest. Use all your abilities for the peaceful exchange between both sides.”

And thus, I ended up heading to the Great Forest with the title of consul.

When you think about it, this wasn’t particularly strange. The Great Forest was treated as a semi-independent state.

While the concept of a resident ambassador wasn’t entirely missing from this world, it was more common to appoint traders as consuls for diplomatic use, especially considering I’m both a knight and an entrepreneur — the products I deal in just happen to be morphine and heroin.

‘If this isn’t enough preparation, nothing is.’

A title, drugs, and my head filled with business plans.

That’s all I needed.

“I will depart for the Great Forest as soon as preparations are completed.”

I responded to the high official from the Diplomatic Office who delivered the commission certificate.

I didn’t bother explaining that I was heading there not for peace but to spread heroin. If I succeed, everyone will find out anyway.

***

Five days later, the time for departure arrived.

The imperial forces stationed at the outskirts of the Great Forest had retreated to the rear. The speed of the withdrawal made “withdrawal” a generous term; it was more akin to a midnight escape.

Had the sight of humans who were sickeningly intolerable finally disappeared?

The elves reportedly gave us a somewhat warm farewell.

“Today, we’ve completely dismantled all outposts. But… according to reports, warriors likely from the Udrina clan suddenly appeared. They shot arrows at the officers who were overseeing the retreat. Although no one was harmed, it was clear they were targeting the military caps and flags.”

“That seems like a warning not to return.”

“Nevertheless, we requested the elves to accept the empire’s delegation. With the assistance of the Darien Kingdom, which is relatively friendly with the Great Forest, we were finally able to secure their agreement. The elves have promised not to show hostility as long as our delegation arrives.”

This means that, after pulling the troops back and adopting a humble attitude for diplomatic interaction, we were barely granted permission by the elves to send a delegation.

It was as embarrassing as it gets.

‘Of course the elves wouldn’t find it funny to just let us leave peacefully.’

Still, even without major combat, they could’ve treated our retreat more leniently instead of shooting arrows.

The elves’ deep animosity toward the empire was once again evident. The fact that they still permitted the delegation to come was commendable in its own respect.

Anyway, now that the environment was in place, it was time to leave.

Just before departure,

I came to pay my respects to Siena, who is my ruler and partner.

“Will it be hard to see you for a while?”

“Yes, Your Highness. It is likely. Unless in a special situation, I will be staying near the border for the foreseeable future, away from the state.”

Siena greeted me while having breakfast in the morning.

Today, her breakfast again consisted of oatmeal—steel-cut oats known for their health benefits.

Could it be that she stays healthy to enjoy watching others fall? Given how she doesn’t smoke or drink much, there’s a chance it’s exactly for that.

‘I’m not certain whether Siena will behave herself while I’m gone.’

These days, Siena’s greatest hobby was drugs—or rather, studying and observing the drug business I was involved in.

If only she would consider consuming them directly, I could offer them freely, but as someone who has developed a taste for watching the spectacle, managing her has become a challenge.

Even if I asked her to behave, it would be futile.

What was this?

At that moment, Siena seemed to read my feelings, something that has happened many times before.

“Don’t worry, Alan. The things that you’re concerned about won’t happen.”

“I’m worried you might get bored.”

“Thanks for thinking of that. Fortunately, I’ve found a new hobby—writing letters to Anais. It’s more fun than I thought it would be. I told her about the goings-on at the Academy since I thought she might be lonely at the monastery. After all, I am her sister.”

“Letters?”

“Yes. The Academy’s doing quite well these days, so I thought Anais should know.”

I guessed roughly what she meant.

It’s probably about the increasing number of drug addicts at the Academy. Because most of the students live in dormitories, the trend spreads even faster. Right now, there’s bound to be someone shivering somewhere.

“Your Highness has found something to focus on, which is a relief.”

“It’s a bit disappointing, but not quite enough to fully engage me yet… And, Alan, you’re surprisingly quiet. You must have a rough idea of the situation at the Academy, right? What do you plan to do about it?”

“There’s nothing to plan. Taking care of the Academy isn’t my responsibility, is it?”

“You’re giving away drugs for free to that trash.”

“You mean Leon Rothe Dale? There might come a time when I need to take advantage of that person’s strength. If I can control him with a few morphine pills, it’s a bargain.”

This wasn’t a conciliatory statement.

I had no time to spare for anything other than knocking the elves off their pedestal with drugs right now. There’s no way I can handle both taking care of the Academy and the mission I’m on. Not every problem in this world can be solved by me, after all.

“Alright, Alan. Is there anything you’d like to ask me before you go?”

“I’d like to ask you to take care of the psilocybin cultivation while I’m gone. You just need to water the mushrooms every two days without getting them too wet.”

“I’ll take care of it myself to have a little pastime. If I let the maids do it, they might steal some. Everyone knows our mother likes psilocybin.”

“If you’re willing to do that, it would be a great honor.”

Even the princess offering to grow mushrooms for me.

If she just continues to focus on the Academy, observing and watering the mushrooms, I can sell drugs with peace of mind.

However, even if she doesn’t, I’m not worried. I trust that she won’t cause me any trouble.

“I’ll inform you as soon as there’s any progress. Or I’ll show you if necessary.”

To thank Siena, I made this one promise. Offering her a huge dividend from the heroin sales didn’t seem like it would excite her.

“Great. I will look forward to it.”

Fortunately, Siena was satisfied.

…

Not long after, the delegation I would lead as consul departed for the border.

Bon, from Medoff Pharmaceuticals, a knight named Erica who guarded Siena, and a couple of bureaucrats from the Diplomatic Department who were added for show. Including myself, we were made up of three experts, but this team was far too small to invade the Great Forest.

But the number of people wasn’t important.

I had with me 50.9 kilograms of heroin, more powerful than any regular army.

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